[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44184-44185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20922]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

August 9, 1999.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to 
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, 
D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of 
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by 
calling (202) 720-6746.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential person who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless if displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Forest Service

    Title: Grazing Permit Administration Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 0596-0003.
    Summary of Collection: Domestic livestock grazing currently exist 
on approximately 90 million acres of National Forest Service (NFS) 
lands. This grazing is subject to authorization and administrative 
oversight by the Forest Service (FS). Information is required for the 
issuance and administration of grazing permits, including fee 
collections, on NFS lands as authorized by the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act, as amended, and the subsequent Secretary of Agriculture 
regulation 5 U.S.C. 301, 36 CFR 222, Subparts A and C. The bills for 
collection of grazing fees are based on the number of domestic 
livestock grazed on national forest lands and are a direct result of 
issuance of the grazing permit. Information must be collected on an 
individual basis through the permit issuance and administration 
process. FS will collect information using several forms.
    Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect information on the 
ownership or control of livestock and base ranch property; the need for 
additional grazing to round out year long ranching operations; and 
citizenship. The information collected is used by FS in administering 
the grazing use program on NFS lands. If information is not collected, 
it would be impossible for the agency to administer a grazing use 
program in accordance with the statutes and regulations.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions; farms, State, Local or Tribal Government; 
individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 7,200.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually; Other (as needed 
basis).
    Total Burden Hours: 2,950.

Economic Research Service

    Title: Study of Re-Engineering the Welfare System.
    OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
    Summary of Collection: In 1996, President Clinton signed into law 
the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
1996 (PRWORA), thereby dramatically changing the system that had 
provided welfare cash assistance and food stamp benefits to low-income 
households since the early 1970's. In addition to the changes enacted 
in PRWORA, states have begun the process of modernizing and improving 
their FSPs. New technological innovations have increased the use of 
computers to provide enhanced systems for service delivery, eligibility 
determination, benefit delivery and maintenance of program integrity. 
The primary purpose of the study is to provide USDA with a thorough 
view of the administrative changes states have made, are making, or 
will make to their Food Stamp Programs in FY 1999. The Economic 
Research Service (ERS) has awarded a contract to the Health Systems 
Research, Inc. (HSR) to collect existing documents from Food Stamp 
Directors and abstract data from these documents into a descriptive 
database. States will be requested to provide documents that fit within 
six basic re-engineering categories: the changing role of the 
caseworkers; organizational changes; changes in client tracking and 
accountability systems; changes in program accessibility and 
certification systems; increases in program monitoring and evaluation; 
and plans for implementing the simplified Food Stamp Program. ERS will 
collect information using mail and telephone surveys.
    Need and Use of the Information: ERS will collect information on 
the number and percentage of states that have implemented or plan to 
implement administrative changes in their Food Stamp Program; the 
number and percentage of states and county-administered programs that 
have implemented or plan to implement administrative changes; methods 
used by states (regulatory, legislative, executive order, etc.) to 
implement changes; differences between the type of administrative 
changes made between states with state-administered FSPs and county-
administered FSPs; number and percentage of states making 
organizational changes in their governmental structure as a result of 
welfare reform; the number and percentage of states making 
privatization efforts, by type of state and administrative activity; 
and the type of privatization efforts being made by states, by state 
demographic characteristics. The report will be used to assist ERS in 
determining future needs and measuring progress toward achieving Food 
Stamp Program goals.
    Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 102.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 119.

Economic Research Service

    Title: Emergency Food Assistance System Study.

[[Page 44185]]

    OMB Control Number: 0536-0048.
    Summary of Collection: Many emergency food providers are reporting 
increased demand for their services as a result of changes in the 
nation's welfare and food assistance safety net under the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and 
decreasing ability to meet the additional demands. USDA is coordinating 
public and private efforts intended to increase the amount of surplus 
food channeled through Emergency Food Assistance System (EFAS) 
providers by 33 percent by the year 2000. On November 23, 1996, 
President Clinton signed an executive memorandum directing all Federal 
agencies to join the USDA effort to recover excess food and established 
a Federal interagency task force on gleaning and food recovery. USDA, 
through the Food and Nutrition Service, administers several food 
assistance programs that help low-income households obtain adequate and 
nutritious diets. The largest USDA food assistance program, the Food 
Stamp Program, is designed to provide food assistance programs by 
serving as a distribution outlet for Emergency Food Assistance Program 
(TEFAP) commodities and by providing temporary or supplemental food 
assistance to many of the same needy populations served by USDA 
programs. A study of the Emergency Food Assistance System is going to 
be conducted. The Economic Research Service (ERS) previously obtained 
OMB approval for the first phase of this study which was focused on 
identifying proper respondents for the purpose of establishing a 
statistically valid sampling frame. In the second phase, ERS proposes 
using the sampling frame to conduct the study survey. ERS will collect 
information in phase two using questionnaires and telephone interviews.
    Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on 
providers' operating characteristics, service areas, resource base, 
quantity and type of food flowing into the system, number of people 
served, and providers' capacity to manage current and future changes in 
food demand and resources. Information collected by the EFAS study will 
help USDA assess emergency food providers ability to manage current and 
future changes in food demand and resources and determine whether 
additional programs to support EFAS are needed.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 9,046.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Other (one time).
    Total Burden Hours: 4,941.

Economic Research Service

    Title: Evaluation of the Impact of EBT Customer Waivers on 
Recipients: New EBT User Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
    Summary Of Collection: In April 1992, the Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS) issued regulations governing the design, implementation 
and use of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) systems for the issuance 
and redemption of food stamp benefits. Since 1992, the growth of EBT 
systems has been dramatic, and the U.S. Congress has now mandated the 
use of EBT systems in all states by October 1, 2002. Because experience 
with EBT systems was somewhat limited at the time the regulations were 
promulgated, the regulations included numerous measures intended to 
protect recipients' rights and to make EBT systems easy to use. 
Examples included regulations which require the FSP recipients: (a) are 
to be allowed to select their own personal identification number (PIN); 
(b) are to receive hands-on-training and experience in how to use EBT 
equipment; and (c) are to receive replacement EBT cards within two 
business days. As more states implement EBT and experience with these 
systems increased, however, efforts to reduce EBT administrative costs 
increase as well. State agencies are requesting waivers to the EBT 
regulations so they can try new and more efficient approaches to system 
implementation and operations. The Economic Research Service (ERS) will 
collect information using a survey to learn about the impact of three 
types of customers service waivers on recipients.
    Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on 
service problems recipients have encounter with: PIN assignment rather 
than PIN selection; mailing of training materials to recipients rather 
than hands-on-training; and extending the time for card replacement 
from two days up to five days. The purpose of the study is to learn 
more about the actual impacts of the three customer service waivers on 
recipients and how the waivers may affect recipients and the 
recipients' responses. It will also provide preliminary estimates of 
the frequency of customer service problems in selected states with and 
without the waivers.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
    Number Of Respondents: 1,400.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 467.
Nancy B. Sternberg,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-20922 Filed 8-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-01-M